Bartlett Tripp
Encyclopedia
Bartlett Tripp was an American lawyer, judge, and diplomat.
; his mother was Naamah Bartlett (1798-1874), William Tripp's second wife. The family moved from Harmony to the nearby town of Ripley
in 1844. Bartlett Tripp entered Colby College
in 1857, but left without graduating in 1861 to travel to California
. On the way he visited his older half-brother William
in Iowa and also visited the south-eastern part of the Dakota Territory
. In California he did some surveying, then moved to Salt Lake City, Utah (where his brother Enoch Bartlett Tripp (1823-1909), a prominent Mormon merchant, lived) and taught school (1864-5). He eventually returned to Maine to regain his health. He then attended Albany Law School
, graduating in 1867. While in law school Tripp met future president William McKinley
, who became a lifelong friend.
under president Grover Cleveland
. In December 1897 he was elected to be the first president of the new South Dakota Bar Association
. In 1899, at the request of McKinley, he headed an American/British/German commission which visited Samoa
and helped negotiate the Tripartite Convention of 1899 which settled disputes between those countries over the area. Tripp later published a book on his experiences there (My Trip to Samoa, 1911). After the establishment of the University of South Dakota School of Law
in 1907, he lectured on constitutional law and taxation there.
Tripp was briefly considered a candidate to be the Republican nominee for Vice President under McKinley in 1900, but he withdrew after Theodore Roosevelt
entered the field.
, later a politician and judge of the South Dakota Supreme Court.
Tripp's second wife Janet (as she was usually called) had been married to a bookkeeper named Franklin Washburn, and had two children by her first marriage. Her first husband was killed in 1902 in a notable train wreck in the Park Avenue railroad tunnel
in New York City
.
and the town of Tripp
in South Dakota are named after Bartlett Tripp. Tripp Park in Yankton was sold to the city for $1 by Tripp's estate; Tripp had intended to give the land to the city, but hadn't completed the transaction in his lifetime.
Early life and education
Tripp was the son of William Tripp (1794-1875), a farmer and Methodist minister who had served in the War of 1812War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
; his mother was Naamah Bartlett (1798-1874), William Tripp's second wife. The family moved from Harmony to the nearby town of Ripley
Ripley, Maine
Ripley is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. The community was named after Brigadier General Eleazer Wheelock Ripley of the War of 1812...
in 1844. Bartlett Tripp entered Colby College
Colby College
Colby College is a private liberal arts college located on Mayflower Hill in Waterville, Maine. Founded in 1813, it is the 12th-oldest independent liberal arts college in the United States...
in 1857, but left without graduating in 1861 to travel to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. On the way he visited his older half-brother William
William Tripp
William Tripp was an American politician, lawyer, soldier, and surveyor....
in Iowa and also visited the south-eastern part of the Dakota Territory
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
. In California he did some surveying, then moved to Salt Lake City, Utah (where his brother Enoch Bartlett Tripp (1823-1909), a prominent Mormon merchant, lived) and taught school (1864-5). He eventually returned to Maine to regain his health. He then attended Albany Law School
Albany Law School
Albany Law School is an ABA accredited law school based in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 by Amos Dean , Amasa Parker, Ira Harris and others....
, graduating in 1867. While in law school Tripp met future president William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
, who became a lifelong friend.
Career
Following law school, Tripp practiced law, first in Maine and then in Yankton with his half-brother William, who had been appointed as a Surveyor General for Dakota Territory. He was active in Democratic Party politics, serving as Dakota Territory party chairman , delegate to the national convention in 1872 and 1892, and in 1878 the Democratic candidate for the Territory's delegate in Congress. Bartlett was part of a commission that codified the laws of the territory, and served as president of an 1883 constitutional convention. From 1885 to 1889 he served as Chief Justice of the territorial Supreme Court. From 1893 to 1897 he served as Ambassador to AustriaAustria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
under president Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
. In December 1897 he was elected to be the first president of the new South Dakota Bar Association
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
. In 1899, at the request of McKinley, he headed an American/British/German commission which visited Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
and helped negotiate the Tripartite Convention of 1899 which settled disputes between those countries over the area. Tripp later published a book on his experiences there (My Trip to Samoa, 1911). After the establishment of the University of South Dakota School of Law
University of South Dakota School of Law
The University of South Dakota School of Law is the law school of the University of South Dakota and the only law school in the state of South Dakota. It is located on the USD campus in Vermillion in the southeastern part of the state, near the Missouri River and the Iowa and Nebraska borders...
in 1907, he lectured on constitutional law and taxation there.
Tripp was briefly considered a candidate to be the Republican nominee for Vice President under McKinley in 1900, but he withdrew after Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
entered the field.
Personal life
Tripp was married twice, in 1863 to Ellen Jennings (died 1884) and then in 1887 to Maria Janet (Davis) Washburn (1846-1934), sister of Senator Cushman K. Davis. Tripp had one daughter, Maude B., by his first wife. Maude (1866-1894) married South Dakota lawyer Charles Hall DillonCharles Hall Dillon
Charles Hall Dillon was a member of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota . He later served on the South Dakota Supreme Court...
, later a politician and judge of the South Dakota Supreme Court.
Tripp's second wife Janet (as she was usually called) had been married to a bookkeeper named Franklin Washburn, and had two children by her first marriage. Her first husband was killed in 1902 in a notable train wreck in the Park Avenue railroad tunnel
Park Avenue Tunnel (railroad)
The Park Avenue Tunnel connects four tracks of the Metro-North Railroad from Grand Central Terminal at 42nd Street to 97th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The tunnel portal rises to a full viaduct by 99th Street.- History :...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Legacy
Tripp CountyTripp County, South Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,430 people, 2,550 households, and 1,721 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile . There were 3,036 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...
and the town of Tripp
Tripp, South Dakota
Tripp is a city in Hutchinson County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 647 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Tripp is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land....
in South Dakota are named after Bartlett Tripp. Tripp Park in Yankton was sold to the city for $1 by Tripp's estate; Tripp had intended to give the land to the city, but hadn't completed the transaction in his lifetime.